The polarizing filter has long been known for deepening a light blue sky. But it's so much more than that. Most importantly, the circular polarizer reduces glare and boosts colors on reflective surfaces such as glass, water, wet rocks, foliage, painted metal, etc. - even on an overcast day.
Recently on the downtown streets of Sacramento, California, I saw the scene below (the non-polarizer photo). I nearly walked right by, since the faint color in the windows wasn't very noticeable. On a whim, however, I pulled out the circular polarizing filter and was surprised - and pleased - to see how it brought out the bold and natural colors of the building.
No polarizer!
Polarizer used here to cut glare, beefed up color!
Tip: For a quick preview of the polarizer's possible effect, hold the filter up to your eye and turn it to see if any polarization occurs (reduction of glare and deepening of colors). If it works, then attach the polarizer to your D-SLR camera lens. You then rotate the filter in its mount in order to get the right orientation (best effect).
There are many excellent brands of filters available for digital cameras. I shoot with a Nikon D-SLR and use the Nikon polarizing filter.
I discuss the use of the polarizer in both of my online photo courses - Creative Close-ups and Creative Light and Composition - that I teach at BetterPhoto.com's digital online photography school.
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